HELLOWORLDGOING PLACES

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helloworld’s offices are buzzing and new franchisees are growing fast

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Sue Robinson of helloworld 'It's a fun business and the rewards are certainly there'

With a strong business background, including several start-ups, Sue Robinson realised that franchising was the most efficient way into a growth business. ‘I’d owned an insurance brokerage and I’d rented houses for visitors during the Rugby World Cup,’ she says. ‘However, starting anything from scratch takes so much time and energy, and is so risky. I wanted a new enterprise and I recognised helloworld as having the excitement and reputation I was seeking.’

The attraction of a ‘bricks and mortar’ travel business in an increasingly online world may not seem obvious at first but, says Sue, ‘It is the very fact we are established in the High Street that gives us our competitive advantage. This industry is built on relationships. People may do a lot of their research online, but that doesn’t take the place of a travel agent you know and trust. It’s like the relationship with your hairdresser – helloworld has built its base by getting to know the community, and our customers are always referring their friends. There’s also a sense of security with a travel agency. Not only are we bonded travel suppliers – people know that when plans go awry, as they so often do, we will always be there to help.’

So strongly does Sue believe in the future of helloworld that she now owns three stores. ‘I bought my first in Blenheim in October 2014, then nine months later I bought Rolleston and at the beginning of this year I took on Wanganui as well.

‘If you want to succeed in the travel industry, you must be prepared to learn everything from the ground up. After going through the helloworld training programme, I started in Blenheim as a junior so I really understood every aspect of the business. I believe you have to do that if you want to sell travel, be an amazing agent and manage all your staff. Any one of them can ring me at any time about a problem and I’ll understand exactly what they are talking about. If you can do that, it’s a fun business and the rewards are certainly there!’

helloworld has 65 outlets in New Zealand and is growing fast. ‘Travel is a great business to be in,’ says Acquisition Manager Paula Sundin. ‘We sell our customers experiences they have for a lifetime and build successful and profitable businesses for our franchisees.

‘We’re looking for dynamic, business-savvy people with vision, customer service excellence and a passion for travel to take helloworld into new towns and suburbs around New Zealand. Investment starts from around $100,000, so to find out more about an exciting opportunity with a travel brand that’s going places, call me today. ‘